Glaeser Honored With
Top Microscopy Award

Glaeser

Bob Glaeser, Senior Faculty Scientist in the Biophysics Department of the Life Sciences Division, has been selected by the Microscopy Society of America to receive its 2004 Distinguished Scientist Award for the Biological Sciences. This award is for internationally recognized research accomplishments and distinguished contributions to microscopy. Given annually since 1975, it is the highest honor bestowed by the Society. Glaeser will receive the award at the 62nd Annual Meeting of MSA in August.

DOE Solicits Expression
Of Interest to Manage
Berkeley Lab

The Department of Energy issued a “presolicitation” notice this week to determine the level of interest among organizations and agencies to manage Berkeley Lab. It is one of the steps preparatory to a formal Request for Proposals (RFP) in Berkeley Lab’s first contract competition. Expressions of interest are due to the DOE by May 7. A draft RFP will be issued in May, and a final RFP in late June.

Hubbard

It's Geek-Meets–Grape
As Wine Gets Wired

Once, wine meant horse-drawn plows and barefoot workers stomping in a tub. These days, winemakers are more likely to depend on the juice running through their personal computers as they turn grapes into premium vintages. What science can do is help with things like deciding when and where to irrigate. To answer that question, the Robert Mondavi Winery has teamed up with UC Berkeley to use experimental ground-penetrating radar to map soil moisture. The next step will be finding funds to study how much influence the technique has on grape quality, says Susan Hubbard, A Berkeley Lab researcher and UC Berkeley engineer...Full story (requires registration).

Conference, Exhibits
Will Probe Oppenheimer

J. Robert Oppenheimer was one of last century's tragic figures, a University of California, Berkeley, physicist who corralled the brains and talent to create the atomic bomb, only later to be stripped of his government security clearance. In celebration this year of the 100th anniversary of his birth, UC Berkeley has planned a series of exhibits and a conference to explore the man in full. The exhibits -- Breaking Through: A Century of Physics at Berkeley, 1868-1968 and Looking Where the Light Is: Physics in the 20th Century – open next Thursday. The conference, "Oppenheimer as Scientific Intellectual," is scheduled for April 23 and 24. Go here for details. Read UC Berkeley’s press release here.

Employee investments in the new University of California Balanced Growth Fund are to be based on deductions accrued on April vs. March earnings and therefore will be transferred in May. Originally, UC was going to deduct the transfers from checks dated April 1. Until this transfer is made, your funds are still invested in the old UC Multi-Asset fund. Amounts on paycheck stubs for the new and old funds will be corrected in May and reflected in June. Questions can be answered by the Benefits Office at X6403. Read UC’s March announcement on the new investment options here.

ASD Non-Scientist Talk
Features JGI Deputy

The ASD Academy’s next Science for Non Scientists talk will feature Jim Bristow, Deputy Director at JGI, who will present, After the Human Genome-What Next? Completion of the human genome has provided an opportunity to learn how human genes are regulated, human sequence variations leading to common diseases, and a preliminary understanding of the complexity of the microbial world. The talk will take place in the Building 50 Auditorium, tomorrow, from 11 a.m. to noon. All employees are welcome. Enroll here for ASD 9032.